Tag Archives: charity care hospitals

The Arizona Hospital and Healthcare Association (AzHHA) Board of Directors voted Tuesday to drop the lawsuit against the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System (AHCCCS) to prevent a five percent cut in hospital payment rates.

After thoughtful consideration, the AzHHA Board of Directors decided it would be in the best interest of all the parties involved to move forward and work together in partnership with policymakers to strengthen Arizona’s healthcare delivery system.

“This is a challenging time for hospitals and patients as a result of a prolonged recession and budget cuts to healthcare programs,” said AzHHA President and Chief Executive Officer Laurie Liles. “As we look ahead, we know the state and Arizona hospitals will continue to face economic challenges and we look forward to working with state leaders like Senate President Steve Pierce to prepare for the future and grow our state’s economy.”

“I’m glad to hear the Association is dropping this lawsuit. We need to stop looking back and instead look ahead to find solutions to the crisis in health care. These are complex issues and we need to work together. I’m tired of a shotgun approach to fixing things. We must look at the big picture,” says Senate President Steve Pierce.

Arizona hospitals have struggled in recent months as they care for an increasing number of uninsured patients who turn to hospitals for emergency treatment. In the last quarter of 2011, the amount of charity care hospitals provided increased by 75 percent over the same period in 2010.

For more information on AzHHA, visit their website at azhha.org. For more information on AHCCCS, visit their website at azahcccs.gov.